Sporobolus bechuanicus Gooss.

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Densely caespitose perennial, sometimes with short but distinct rhizomes; culms up to 85 cm tall (rarely less than 50 cm), unbranched, erect or occasionally decumbent and rooting at the nodes to form woody stolons; basal leaf sheaths firmly chartaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous, terete or lightly compressed, smooth and glabrous, persistent; leaf laminas 6.5–20 cm × 2–3 mm, glaucous, stiff but flexuous, usually involute, rarely flat, glabrous, pectinate-scabrid on the margins, pungent at the apex but not spiny.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 9.5–20 cm long, linear, contracted; primary branches not in whorls, (5)10–20 mm long, loosely appressed to the axis, glabrous, eglandular, the spikelets densely packed along the whole length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets (1.5)2–3 mm long, pallid to pale green or greyish; inferior glume 1/3–1/2 the length of the spikelet, ovate, hyaline, nerveless, glabrous, obtuse to subacute at the apex; superior glume (2/3)4/5 as long to as long as the spikelet, ovate-elliptic to ovate, hyaline, 1-nerved, glabrous, obtuse to subacute at the apex; lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong-elliptic; anthers 3, 1.2–1.4 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Grain 1–1.2 mm long, elliptic, lightly laterally compressed.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Culms 50-80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 12-20 cm long; 3-3.5 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; loose; 6-24 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.25 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; cartilaginous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5-3 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

Distribution

Africa: southern tropical and south.

Reference

Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.